Storage garage



y 19, 1932- E. o. McHENRY ET AL 1,867,675

STORAGE GARAGE Filed Dec. 4, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1932- E. o. MCHENRY ET AL 1,367,675

STORAGE GARAGE Filed Dec. 4, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 19, 1932. E. o. MCHENRY ET AL STORAGE GARAGE Filed Dec. 4, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARL O. MCHENRY AND FRANK A. MCHENRY, O1 HOYTVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNORS OF ONE- THIRD T DANIEL C. INGOLD, OF MCCDMB, OHIO, IAND ONE-THIRD T'O MELVIN J- INGOLD, OF ST. LOUIS, MICHIGAN STORAGE GARAGE Application filed December 4, 1930. Serial No. 500,076.

This invention has for its object the provision of means whereby a large number of motor vehicles may be stored within a single building of moderate dimensions in which 5. storage space may be utilized in a highly advantageous manner. The invention has 1 for its object the provision of means whereby motor vehicles may be readily moved into or out of the storage space and in which two vehicles may be moved into the storage space simultaneously, while further objects of the invention are to provide means whereby drippings of grease may be caught and removed from under the vehicles so as to avoid unsightly accumulations of the same as well as to permit the waste oil to be gathered in suitable receptacles whereby it may be conveyed to refineries for cleaning and treatment which will adapt it for further use, and to provide an apparatus for storing the vehicles which may be manipulated easily to bring succesive vehicle-receiving compartments into position to receive vehicles or to discharge the same. Other objects of the in- 5 vention will appear incidentally in the course of the following description, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a garage building embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the building showing the vehicle storage compartments and the manner in which they are arranged and supported,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail section more particularly showing the manner in which the vehicle supports are mounted,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 55 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of one of the vehicle supports, and

Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating diagrammatically the mechanism for bringing the several compartments or vehicle supports into position to receive a vehicle.

In carrying out the invention, there is constructed a building, shown generally at 1, which may be of any preferred dimensions and which has a dome-like roof 2, as clearly shown. The building also has a cellar or basement 3 which is below the street level and accommodates some of the vehicle supports or storage compartments as the apparatus is manipulated to bring the successive compartments into vehicle-receiving or discharging position. At the street level, the building is provided with doors 4 and 5 which permit vehicles to be. driven into the building and an ofiice 6 may be provided at the front of the building between the doors, as shown in Fig. 1. Other doors 7 and 8 are preferably provided at the rear of the building alined with the doors 4 and 5 to facilitate removal of the vehicles, as will be understood.

Mounted in suitable bearings 9 provided therefor on the inner sides of the front and rear walls of the building is a shaft 10, and to this shaft adjacent the ends of the same are secured hub members or disks 11 between which are pivotally suspended a series of vehicle-receivin'g compartments or supporting frames indicated as an entirety by the numera1 12. There are also secured to the shaft 10 at the ends of the same and against the outer sides of the disks or hub members 11 radial arms 13 which extend-radially beyond the peripheral edges of the disks and at their outer ends are secured to rings 14 from which project brackets or arms 15 disposed radially and havin pivotally suspended thereon other vehic e-supporting frames 16 which correspond in all respects to the frames 12. The radius of the disks 11 and the radius of the rings 14 plus the length of the several arms or brackets 15 are such that the vehiclesupporting frames or compartments carried thereby will be disposed each at times in alinement with the respective doors in the front and rear walls of the building, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the ingress and egress of the vehicles will be facilitated. It will also be noted that the arrangement provides two annular series of vehicle-supporting frames so that a large number of vehicles may be stored in a very small space. The

length of the several frames or storage compartments may be such that each compartment will accommodate only a single vehicle or any greater number of vehicles ma be accommodated according to the deman s in the particular locality where the building is erected.

The several storage compartments or vehicle-supporting frames are, of course, open at both their ends so that the vehicles may be driven directly into or from the same, and it will be understood, of course, that after one compartment or frame has received all the vehicles for which it is designed, the apparatus is to be rotated so as to bring another compartment into alinement with the entrance to permit the driving of additional vehicles into the building. Any suitable I mechanism may be employed to effect the rotation of the main supporting frame, and in the accompanying drawings we have shown the rings 14 as eing provided marginally with tracks 17 extending entirely therearound and having cables 18 fitted thereto, the cables being secured to and adapted to wind on drums 19 carried by a shaft 20 and located at an convenient point within the garage buil ing, a room 21 being indicated adjacent one end wall of the building in Fig. 2. The shaft 20 may have a motor 22 mounted directly thereon or geared thereto and the speed of rotation of this motor may be controlled by a brake band 23 fitted around a brake drum 24 on the shaft and connected with a controlling lever 25, as will be understood.

As the several vehicle storage compartments or supporting frames are of like construction, a description of one will sufiice for a description of all. At fixed intervals around the margins of the disks 11 and at the outer ends of the posts or brackets 15 are fixed pins or stub shafts 26 which project inwardly and have their inner ends fitted in bearings 27 provided at the ends of the several frames 12 and 16 and at the tops of the same so that the frames will be suspended upon said pins or stub shafts and will always depend perpendicularly therefrom. Each frame comprises end rings 28 and struts or bracing members 29 secured to and extending between said rings so that the rings will be held at a fixed distance apart and the structure will be efl'ectually braced. The upper beams or braces 29 are arched somewhat, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and at the centers thereof an intermediate ring 30 is provided and secured thereto. The rings 28 and 30 do not form perfect circles, their lower portions being preferably flattened, as indicated at 31, whereby tracks for the vehicles may be more readily secured in place and the necessity for using chock blocks or other leveling devices will be eliminated. The tracks 32 consist of channel bars resting upon an SB- cured to the lower flattened portions of the several rings and projecting somewhat beilgnd the end rings so as to minimize the gap tween the ends of the track and the sills 33 of the doors. Diagonally disposed braces 34 are secured to and between the tracks, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so as to maintain the tracks in parallel spaced relation and also provide spaces through which oil and grease which may possibly drip from the cars may pass to be caught in pans 35 slidably mounted on the several rings below the tracks, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6. These pans have their side edges fitted slidably in cleats or like supports 36 which are secured to the bottoms of the several rings 28 and 30 and the pans are coterminous with the frames so that Whether one vehicle or several vehicles be driven into any one compartment or onto any one pair of track rails all the drippings therefrom will be caught. When a pan is full, it may be drawn from between the cleats and its contents discharged into any suitable storage receptacle. This operation may be very conveniently performed in the basement of the building which may be so proportioned and designed as to provide ample space for the workmen. At the outer sides'of the tracks 32 and extending from the same-to the rings 28 and 30 and also extending the full length of the tracks are platforms 37 which provide walks upon which the occupants of the vehicle may alight and proceed to the exit, as will be understood In a like manner, access to a particular car may be obtained.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that we have provided a very compact arrangement of storage compart ments or vehicle supports whereby a large number of vehicles may be stored within a building and a substantial economy in storage space efiected. As vehicles are stored. proper records will, of course, be made and when any particular vehicle is desired for use, a reference to the records will permit that vehicle to be located and the compartment or frame in which it is stored quickly brought into alinement with the exit from the building. The weight of the frames with the vehicles stored thereon or therein will serve to maintain them in pendent positions so that they will always be perpendicular whether they be at the top or bottom or any intermediate point in the series.

It is to be noted that the carriers or compartments are so arranged that whenever- Ill Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. Means for the purpose set forth comprising a building having alined doors in its front and rear walls, a rotatable frame mounted within the building with its axis parallel with a plane passing through the alined doors, and concentric annular series of vehicle supports pivotally suspended on said rotatable frame and arranged to simultaneously aline a support in each series with the doors.

2. Means for the purpose set forth comprising a rotatable frame having spaced vertical end members, and annular series of vehicle supports pivotally suspended upon and between said members and each having open ends presented to said end members and including tracks extending from end to end thereof, and platforms at the outer sides of the tracks.

3. Means for the purpose set forth comprising a pair of spaced vertically rotatable frames, annular series of vehicle supports pivotally suspended upon and between said frames and each including a pair of tracks for guiding and supporting the vehicle, and a receptacle slidably mounted below and spanning the tracks.

4. Means for the purpose set forth comprising a pair of horizontally spaced rotatable vertical frames, and annular series of vehicle supports pivotally suspended upon and between said frames, each of said supports consisting of a series of rings, braces secured to said rings and maintaining them in spaced relation and in axial alinement, tracks mounted upon the rings at the bottom of the same and extending through the rings j parallel with the axes thereof, and platforms within the rings at the outer sides of the tracks.

5. Means for the purpose set forth comprising a building having alined doors in opposite walls, a frame rotatably supported by and between said walls, series of open ended vehicle carriers pivoted to said frame with their axes parallel with the axis of the frame and their ends presented to the walls of the building and arranged to simultaneously aline carriers in each series with the doors, each of said carriers consisting of a. plurality of coaxial rings, a plurality of braces rigidly connecting the rings, and tracks extending through the rings rigidly secured upon the bottoms thereof, the sides of-the rotatable frame including radially spaced circular members with the space between said members affording ingress of vehicles to the carriers and egress of vehicles from the carriers.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

EARL O. McHENRY.

[1,. s.] FRANK A. McHENRY. 

